Weekly rankings
Where does your team stand? Updating the 12 Texas FBS college football teams after the final regular season games
Nov 26, 2017, 7:46 am
TCU stands alone as the best in the state. Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Texas has 12 FBS teams. Each week we ranked them based on season-long performance, the prior game, and success relative to their level. These are the rankings after the final regular season games. Eight of the 12 are bowl eligible, but the bottom four combined to go 4-44, averaging one measley win per team. We will do one more update after the bowl season.
No. 12: UTEP (0-12)
The Miners completed a winless season with a 28-7 loss to a UAB team that did not exist a couple years ago. It was a brutal year start to finish, including a coaching change midseason. Serious overhaul time.
No. 11: Rice (1-11)
The Owls dismal season came to a fitting end with a 30-14 home loss to a solid North Texas team. David Bailiff has done a nice job with the team in the past, but two awful seasons probably means the end of his tenure.
No. 10: Texas State (2-10)
The Bobcats, like the teams below them, were terrible this year, going just 2-10. All three should be relegated to FCS.
No. 9: Baylor (1-11)
The Bears showed a little life against TCU, but ultimately dropped a 45-22 decision. The Bears, too, should be relegated. That's something soccer gets right. The real question is can this team be anything other than Kansas (the only win this season) without cutting corners and allowing one of the most disturbing scandals in college football history? The future looks uncertain.
No. 8: UTSA (6-5)
What started out as a promising season went to hell over the second half. A 6-5 mark has to be considered a disappointment for a program that looked to be on the rise.
No. 7: SMU (7-5)
The Ponies finished off a 7-5 season with a 41-38 shootout win over improving Tulane. The bigger question is will Chad Morris continue to be the coach? He did about as well as could be expected at a school like SMU, and there are lots of big jobs available.
No. 6: Texas (6-6)
Tom Herman's first season has to be considered a disappointment. A one-game improvement over Charlie Strong's last season was not what was expected of Herman. Seasons like 5-7 and 6-6 were rarities at Texas for decades. Is the program simply not what it was? Herman should make a big jump in year two, but there was not much different about the Longhorns in 2017, and they should never be lower than third on this list.
No. 5: Texas Tech (6-6)
Kliff Kingsbury saved his job and got the Raiders bowl eligible by upsetting Texas. It was a weird, up and down year for Tech, which got wins over Arizona State, Houston and Texas but also featured several poor performances against better teams.
No. 4: Houston (7-4)
This season screamed Tony Levine. Waiting too long to change quarterbacks, dropping close games to Tech and Memphis and puzzling tail whippings by Tulsa and Tulane. That simply is not good enough for Major Applewhite, and things must improve. Houston has every advantage in the AAC and seven wins won't cut it. They did close out with a good victory against Navy 24-14 and D'Eriq King looks like the next big thing at QB but like Texas, more is expected.
No. 3: Texas A&M (7-5)
The Aggies were pummeled by LSU again, 45-21 this time. Talent wise, they are every bit as good as LSU. Buth they made silly mistakes, turned the ball over and the Kevin Sumlin era likely ended with another loss to the Tigers.
No. 2: North Texas (9-3)
It seems high, sure. And could they beat many of the teams behind them? Probably not (after all, they did lose to SMU.) But the Mean Green won their division of C-USA and get to play Florida Atlantic for the conference championship. FAU stomped them the first time around but they are one of just two Texas teams who will be playing for something next week. A strong season for Seth Littrell, who will get some interest from bigger schools as well.
No. 1: TCU (10-2)
The Frogs get another shot at Oklahoma in the contrived Big 12 Championship game. It might only serve to knock the Big 12 out of the playoffs if TCU can win (and they can). A two-loss TCU probably has no shot at the top four, considering they would have to, um, leap frog (see what I did there?) a 1-loss Alabama, a 1-loss Clemson or Miami, a Big 10 champ and an SEC champ. That Iowa State loss looms big. Still, another excellent season from Gary Patterson and his crew.
X-factor matchups for Houston Texans to make statement rebound versus Colts
Oct 24, 2024, 6:10 pm
Indianapolis (4-3) at Houston (5-2)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS
BetMGM NFL Odds: Texans by 6.
Against the spread: Indianapolis 6-1; Houston 3-3-1.
Series record: Colts lead 33-12-1.
Last meeting: Texans beat Colts 29-27 on Sept. 8, in Indianapolis.
Last week: Colts beat Dolphins 16-10; Texans lost to Packers 24-22.
Colts offense: overall (16), rush (14), pass (17), scoring (18).
Colts defense: overall (29), rush (31), pass (23), scoring (T12).
Texans offense: overall (11), rush (15), pass (10), scoring (14).
Texans defense: overall (2), rush (8), pass (4), scoring (17).
Turnover differential: Colts plus-2, Texans plus-3.
Colts player to watch
RB Jonathan Taylor. Despite the Colts optimism each of the past three weeks, Taylor has continued to sit out. Now, he appears to be close to fully recovered from the sprained ankle that knocked him out late in the victory over Pittsburgh on Sept. 29. It’s unclear how much Taylor will play — or how effective he’ll be — but having Taylor in the backfield will only make QB Anthony Richardson's ability to run more of an option.
Texans player to watch
QB C.J. Stroud. The second-year pro looks to bounce back after throwing for a career-low 86 yards without a TD pass last week. The Texans are focused on improving his protection after he was sacked four times and hit another seven in the loss to Green Bay. He’s been great at home this season, going 3-0 with 936 yards passing.
Key matchup
Houston RB Joe Mixon vs. the Indianapolis run defense. Mixon has had at least 100 yards rushing in each of the three full games he’s played this season. The former Bengal, who is in his first year in Houston, had 115 yards rushing and ran for two touchdowns last week for his 10th career game with at least two rushing scores. Now Mixon, who ran for a season-high 159 yards and a TD in Week 1 against the Colts, will face a run defense which ranks 31st in the NFL by allowing 159.9 yards a game. Indianapolis has allowed at least 185 yards rushing three times this season, capped by 188 yards last week against Miami.
Key injuries
Indy’s injury list finally appears to be shrinking. Richardson (right hip) and Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly (calf) returned last week against Miami. Taylor is scheduled to return Sunday at Houston and All-Pro DT DeForest Buckner (sprained ankle) returned to practice Wednesday. WRs Michael Pittman Jr. (back), Josh Downs (toe) and Alec Pierce (shoulder) have continued to play through their injuries, leaving one big question mark this weekend — LB E.J. Speed (knee), who missed last week’s game. … Houston LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) and S Jimmie Ward (groin) missed Sunday’s game and could be out again this week after missing practice. ... LB Henry To’oTo’o (concussion) and CB Kamari Lassiter (shoulder) returned to practice after missing time but coach DeMeco Ryans wouldn't say if they'll play Sunday.
Series notes
Houston has won three of the past four matchups, the past two by a total of six points — both in Indy. ... This will be the third meeting between these franchises in an eight-game stretch. ... Stroud and Richardson were selected two picks apart in the 2023 NFL draft and they developed a friendship while preparing for the draft. But they’ve only played against one another twice. Richardson won the first meeting in Week 2 of 2023, rushing for two scores in Houston before leaving with a concussion. Stroud won the rematch in September.
Stats and stuff
Sunday will mark the second matchup this season between Colts DBs coach Ron Milus and his son, Texas defensive assistant Ryan Milus. ... The Colts have won four of their past five since starting the season 0-2. ... Indy is 4-9-1 in division games since the start of the 2022 season. But the Colts can even the season series with Houston and pull into a tie for the AFC South lead with a victory. ... Indy’s 31 plays of 20 or more yards this season are the fourth most in the NFL this season. ... Pittman needs 2 yards receiving to reach 4,000 in his five-year career. ... Taylor needs 78 total yards to pass Hall of Famer Lenny Moore (6,040 yards) for No. 4 in franchise history. ... Richardson and 39-year-old Joe Flacco have thrown a total of 10 TD passes this season. ... Pierce leads the NFL with an average of 25.5 yards per catch and has a league-high five receptions of 40 or more yards. ... Colts DE Laiatu Latu’s two sacks are tied with Jonah Elliss of Denver for the most among NFL rookies. ... LB Zaire Franklin leads the NFL in tackles with 78. ... CB Jaylon Jones is one of seven players to pick off two passes in a game this season. His eight passes defensed are also tied for No. 5 in the league. … The Texans have forced seven turnovers combined in their past two games. … Houston WR Stefon Diggs has had at least 65 yards receiving in four of his past five games. He has two TD receptions in each of his past two games against the Colts. … WR Tank Dell, who didn’t have a catch last week, had seven receptions for 72 yards a touchdown in the previous game against the Colts in Houston. … DE Danielle Hunter has had a sack in two straight games. … DE Will Anderson has had at least one tackle for loss in three straight games and at least one sack in his past two. He is tied for sixth in the NFL with 6½ sacks this season. … DT Tim Settle had two tackles for losses and a sack last week. … LB Neville Hewitt led the team with a season-high nine tackles last week and had an interception. … S Calen Bullock is tied for first among rookie in the league with three interceptions. He had an interception in the first meeting with Indianapolis. … CB Derek Stingley had six tackles, including one for a loss and defended a pass last week. ... LB Devin White, a Pro Bowler in 2021 with Tampa Bay, signed with Houston on Wednesday.
Fantasy tip
Mixon should be a good pickup this week against Indy’s struggling run defense after he’s combined for 217 yards rushing with three rushing TDs and one touchdown reception in the two games since returning from injury.